Mark Richt, the 2011 Georgia Bulldogs, and the Need for Boldness
by T Kyle King on Jun 29, 2011 12:30 AM EDT
in Georgia Bulldogs Football
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Print(Author’s Note: I realize that it ordinarily is poor form to raise the subject of religion in polite society, and particularly on a sports weblog, but, as someone who is given to delivering "unforgettable" rants "of the year," I sometimes find self-restraint difficult, so I ask for your indulgence. Just sit back, have yourself a nice drink of tea, and enjoy the ride.)
L’audace, l’audace, toujours l’audace!
General George S. Patton
(citing Frederick the Great)
Frequently, on Sunday mornings, our pastor dismisses the congregation by closing the worship service with an exhortation to walk boldly in our faith. Certainly, Mark Richt is a Christian who walks boldly in his faith, but is he equally bold on the sidelines on Saturday afternoons?
At the top of the list of Paul Westerdawg’s complaints about the state of the program is the absence of a sense of urgency on the Georgia Bulldogs’ coaching staff. Another way of phrasing that same concern is to state that the team whose championship-winning defense once was anchored by one George Patton is failing adequately to exhibit the quality of boldness advocated by another George Patton.
Unfortunately, audacity appears to be a diminishing resource, in football coaches as much so as in the rest of us. Men like Mark Richt’s mentor, Bobby Bowden, and Mark Richt’s nemesis, Tommy Tuberville, built their reputations as riverboat gamblers early in their careers before being criticized for being overly conservative later in their tenures. As the saying goes, "There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots."
This is not news to those of us in Bulldog Nation; Vince Dooley, the winningest football coach in our history, became less of a risk-taker toward the close of his time on the Sanford Stadium sideline. Likewise, Mark Richt has grown more cautious with age, as evidenced by the boldness of his fourth-down gambit against Clemson in 2002, as compared to the timidity of his fourth-down decision against Central Florida in 2010; not coincidentally, the former game began an SEC championship run for the first time in 20 years, while the latter outing concluded a losing season for the first time in a decade and a half. Neither Coach Dooley nor Coach Richt was well-served by this shift from the brazen to the reserved.
Which worked better for the Bulldogs, the cautiousness of the first half against Florida and the second half against Auburn, or the wide-open attack of the first half against Auburn and the second half against Florida? Were the Red and Black better off calling an on-side kick against the best-coached special teams in the country or letting an on-side kick be executed against them in last year’s seesaw battle on the Plains? Did the ‘Dawgs do better by running, running, and running some more against Georgia Tech to end the 2009 season or by going away from what was working against Oklahoma State to begin it? These questions are strictly rhetorical, as there is no serious argument to be mounted on behalf of the obviously erroneous side.
There have been positive signs suggesting the re-emergence of boldness this offseason, as player arrests have ceased, recruiting has improved, the strength and conditioning program has been overhauled, and Coach Richt has displayed passion at Bulldog Club meetings, though these may be mere mirages. We know this, though: Coach Richt’s surrender of the play-calling duties to Mike Bobo led directly to the aforementioned on-side kick against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, and Coach Richt attributed that move to a call from on high.
When Mark Richt changed offensive coordinators, he immediately showed more guts, and what followed was a 2007 season that was extremely successful and quite a lot of fun. Vince Dooley was more audacious when Erk Russell was running his defense, and not without good reason; after trading down in defensive coordinators, Coach Dooley became more cautious. Coach Richt traded up when he swapped Willie Martinez for Todd Grantham, and, now that Coach Grantham has the tools he needs to make his scheme work, Coach Richt again ought to be inspired to be bold once more by a change in coordinators.
In the end, Mark Richt’s willingness to walk boldly in the faith he practices on, but not just on, Sunday mornings may be what leads him to walk boldly in the faith that should sustain him on Saturday afternoons. Coach Richt is a man who lives by the maxim "WWJD?"; he should recall that Jesus of Nazareth was not a "play it safe" sort of Savior. The God who told Coach Richt to let Coach Bobo call the plays is a God who wants His disciples to go for it. The meek may inherit the earth, but they will not win the SEC East, and, when facing the field before us, we should buy it with much gusto rather than play the percentages. The older Mark Richt would do well to recall the bolder Mark Richt, and to recognize that a man of conviction ought to be willing to take a leap of faith on fourth and short.
Go ‘Dawgs!
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I have always been fascinated by the mixture of religion and sports in our culture.
Thanks for a clever and comedic take on it here.
not to be that guy
But that guy says that you have attributed the l’audace quote correctly. In the movie patton attributed the quote to ole Fred. But its an error either by the movie or character. It was French revolutionary Georges Danton that said it. That guy apologizes for wasting your time.
by Mark Mandingo on Jun 29, 2011 9:34 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
"that guy"
This blog’s commentariat may be characterized as, inter alia, a community of “those guys”. Carry on.
by NCT on Jun 29, 2011 9:50 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Awww! This history major wanted to be That Guy.
"Lattimore, as the kids can say, can ball, and sometimes does it to the extent one might say [he] is out of control in his balling." - Spencer Hall
by GwinnettGamecock on Jun 29, 2011 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Beatitudes
Nietzsche got a lot wrong in ways not unlike Rand’s missteps. His criticism of the Judeo-Christian tradition is not entirely without merit, however. I respectfully would suggest that tradition has over- or mis- emphasized the Beatitudes in a way that made Nietzsche (partially) correct. That is, a Christianity that lauds weakness as a virtue is a dangerous thing, but the idea that such a value system is the inevitable result of Christianity is flat-out wrong. It was my own failure to recognize the latter fact that once prompted me to consider changing my last name to “X” and to pursue a religious and spiritual life based not on a foreign belief system that was forced on my ancestors at the point of a Roman sword but on what I perceived to be the nature-loving pagan traditions of the indigenous peoples of northwest Europe — a pursuit I abandoned for want of historical record and the fact that the foreign nature of Christianity had in large part been neutralized by its presence in western culture for so many generations. But I, comme d’habitute, digress.
In the end, we need not apologize for Christ’s teaching us that the meek shall be blessed. It is not, I believe, a call to weakness: we still must howl with the wolves lest we be devoured as sheep. We must not accept with meekness all offenses against us. Instead, this is a call to recognize and appreciate the meekness to others and to recognize the virtue in ourselves of a willingness to subjugate our personal desires and impulses to action in furtherance of a higher calling.
So. Aggressive play and play-calling on the gridiron need not be a rejection of Matthew 5:5. It is a manifestation of it — the selfless setting aside of a stubbornness to behave predictably, substituting a humility required to take risk in service of the greater good.
by NCT on Jun 29, 2011 10:14 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Amen.
I have been expressing precisely this sentiment to my Sunday School class for some time now, although in much less erudite language and without alluding to Nietzche or Ayn Rand. Contrary to much-too-popular belief, the Jesus of the Bible was not a first century beatnick hipster who spoke in airy platitudes founded in sentimental notions of “love” and “peace.” He was instead a strong and courageous leader who, while humble in the service of God, was never timid. One need only read John’s account of his conversations with King Herod immediately before his crucifixion. If you’ll recall, the Jewish leaders bring every accusation they can think of against him, yet Jesus refuses say anything in his defense. Herod — who has been trying to convince the crowd that he should let Jesus go — is so frustrated by Christ’s silence he finally screams something like, “Why won’t you answer me? Don’t you know I have the power of life and death over you?” Jesus calmly replies, “You would have no power over me except it had been given you from above.”
That was not a timid man.
by College Buddy on Jun 29, 2011 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Well said, both of you. (Also, nice use of "Amen" by College Buddy; I see what you did there.)
As an interesting aside, I would note that recent comment threads—-one involving multiple aspects of German history and culture, followed by the Nietzsche references in this one—-put me in mind of a line from Sheriff Buford T. Justice, who said (in the “edited for television” version of the film): “The gol-darned Germans got nothing to do with it!” :)
Go 'Dawgs!
I thought that was the trial before Pilate.
… Right after the 39 lashes. But perhaps Rice and Weber were mistaken.
Why do you not speak when I hold your life in my hands?
How can you stay quiet? I don’t believe you understand.
You have nothing in your hands.
Any power you have
Comes to you from far beyond
Everything is fixed and you can’t change it.
I stand corrected.
You are right, of course. I have no excuse, save my haste. I should have been more careful on so serious a matter.
I hope I have not sacrificed my point with the attendant loss of credibility.
By the way, I just bought “Patton” two weeks ago at a DVD fire sale. Great, great flick.
by College Buddy on Jun 29, 2011 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Interesting parallel:
My late uncle, who set up my parents on their first date, and on whose birthday I was born, took his Sunday school class to see “Patton” while it was in original theatrical release.
Go 'Dawgs!
No worries.
That I rely to any extent on a rock opera concept album (that later became a successful stage production and film) for knowledge about the final days of Christ is shameful. But my blessed mother took me to see the film version when I was six or seven, and it changed my life. (oh, you say, that’s what’s wrong with him.)
I know a thing or two about the life of Eva Peron, too.
by NCT on Jun 29, 2011 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
oh, and one more thing.
It was not my intent to correct anyone, but to suggest the possibility of incorrectness which, in my world, are very different things, and the latter is intended to be much more polite and distinctly less certain.
Not to get too deep into religious territory, but...
Contrary to much-too-popular belief, the Jesus of the Bible was not a first century beatnick hipster who spoke in airy platitudes founded in sentimental notions of "love" and "peace."
The hippie Jesus meme always befuddled me. He flat-out said that he came not to bring peace but a sword, and he rolled out with heavily armed guys with nicknames like the Zealot (Simon), the Sons of Thunder (James and John), and (perhaps) the Assassin (Judas). The Biblical Jesus arguably didn’t advocate open rebellion against the Romans, but certainly wasn’t Gandhian pacifist either.
Anyway, for football content, this post dovetails nicely with a post over at TeamSpeedKills today.
I was ready
ready to post a similar reply. However, it seems everybody else beat me to it. Meek does not equal weak, merely not brash. Maybe a better way for me to put this is in a phrase my Dad used when I was younger; “the man who talks a big game, well, he’s not the one to worry about, it’s the quiet guy because you never know what he’s thinking”.
On an unrelated note...
The new phonebook’s here! The new phonebook’s here!
…page 73 75 Johnson, Navin R. Dawg, Davethe…I’m somebody! Things are going to start happening to me now!
…actually, I just went to my mailbox and my MSP Bulldogs Kickoff 2011 annual arrived. I only placed my order on Sunday. Everything looks absolutely top-notch! Can’t wait to dig in!
"If we score, we may win. If they never score, we'll never lose."
-Erk Russell
On that note (and I'm giving away a hint here)...
was I incorrect in thinking that I would get a copy due to being a contributor? If so, then I need to go order the thing.
by hailtogeorgia on Jun 29, 2011 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions
You were not incorrect in that thinking.
As of yesterday’s mail delivery, mine had not arrived, either, and I e-mailed my contact at Maple Street Press to inquire when they had gone out. It’s not late, but I’m anxious. If you don’t receive yours in today’s mail, e-mail me privately, and I’ll follow up on it.
Go 'Dawgs!
by T Kyle King on Jun 29, 2011 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions
I wasn't going to be "that guy" and ask about it.
Thanks for taking one for the team, hailtogeorgia.
by vineyarddawg on Jun 29, 2011 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions
What?
I ‘pre-ordered’ mine on the 21st – does mail really take that long to get to California?
"A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity." Robert A. Heinlein
I wholeheartedly agree with Paul Westerdawg's piece.
No matter what your take on CMR, be it love, hate, lukewarm, on the hot seat, not on the hot seat, there are some fundamental problems that have been around in the last few years. Part of my massive desire to get someone like CTG and not Kirby Smart was I wanted someone that could stand up to CMR in an appropriate manner and time.
There are several things that as he wrote “shouldnt have gotten to where they are.”
1) Taking a top QB recruit and using him as a fair catch guy. In fact, I feel our QB corps was entirely mishandled in the last years.
2) Along with 1, either go for a block, or go for a return. Putting in Gray signaled to our team, “we give up.”
3) Taking the foot off the gas against Auburn. It made no sense. Everyone knew they would come back. Why, I scream, why?
4) Obvious play calling. We all know what they are. Along with that, the wild dawg, WHY? You can’t be a play action drop back pro style O and then put in the wild dawg, because everyone on the planet knows who is getting the ball and where.
5) Speaking of which, the play action has to be worked, set up and developed. You cant do this if you do #4 above. You must hit slants, outs, toss sweeps, TE usage, fakes, and the occasional trick play.
6) Speaking of TEs, gross miss-usage. Best couple of TEs around and severely under utilized.
7) How can CMB ever become effective if he is on the sidelines? Until we get him in the booth where he can focus on game management and strategy rather than on the spot coaching, I don’t feel we will ever have total success.
8) Directional kicking. WHY? Everyone knew it, you knew it, they knew it. It never worked. Once again, hamstringing a strength of ours with our kicking game.
9) S&C – it should have never gotten to the point it did. It’s embarrassing.
Rant complete.
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
Never let it be said that vineyarddawg didn't participate in the Gatorfreude as heartily as possible
Just because you said that, tankertoad:
(Yes, I know that’s a crocodile. They can’t tell the difference, though.)
by vineyarddawg on Jun 29, 2011 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Dang it, wrong thread.
Sorry, everybody.
by vineyarddawg on Jun 29, 2011 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Hate for Florida
is like a universal remote control. It works anywhere.
"If we score, we may win. If they never score, we'll never lose."
-Erk Russell
by DavetheDawg on Jun 29, 2011 3:00 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
No need to apologize.
And it can be “wrong” thread if it’d work in any thread.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
My rant came after the Colorado loss
here, and I’m still hesitant to get fully back on board for a man who as a human, I admire as much as any I’ll ever know.
But on 4, the Wild Dawg/Hawg/Dolphin/whatever stuff. It’s proven to work with a dual set of requirements only. You need a player who can rip one off to take the snap, ala a McFadden. This could be Crowell, personally I’d have used Brandon Boykin in the role. I believe he was an option QB in HS, and in addition to burning speed, he has the power to run through arm tackles unlike Smith. Smith fits the Felix Jones part of the Wild Thing set, where you have a takeoff sweep soon after the snap. His pure, raw speed can get a corner and turn it up quick, which is what you need. Without the dual threat, a Wild formation never works, and that’s where ours failed. We don’t establish two threats, so the defense can focus on just one.
I’m still upset we didn’t utilize Brandon Boykin as much, if not more so, than Branden Smith (that is if Smith is still a CB despite his Mikey Henderson like bulk in the britches). Similar ability to take one to the house with a small seam, except Smith needs a bigger seam than Boykin because he’s too small to break through arm tackles. Aside from AJ Green, Boykin has been by far our biggest threat with the ball in his hands the last 2 years. Yet we don’t find ways to get the ball in his hands. And another thing, why are we creating ways to get Smith the ball, and wouldn’t do the same for a much bigger threat in AJ Green. I want to go on here, but for the sake of my sanity, I’ll end the rant now. I could go on for days the things that have frustrated the heckfire out of me the last few years out of our staff’s decisions. And don’t even get me started on Bean Anderson and player positioning. Seriously, I don’t want to start.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
I think it can be best summarized
by saying we havent played the best players in the best positions for them, and have under utlized obvious talent. The wild dawg, IMO, will not work if we are trying to set up a play action scheme. Play action is more like chess, whereas wild formations are just more in your face.
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
Agreed...
the Wild’s require a mean, nasty, wanna grind you like a steamroller style OL. It’d work for a mid 90s Nebraska, but with our finesse style of blocking and blockers, not so much. That’s why it works for an Arkansas or Miami Dolphins. They had those style blockers. It all begins up front, which brings me back to Bean Anderson and …
/finds closet
//serenity now
///serenity now
////serenity now
/////serenity now
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
Roger -
To me, the play action is about the set up. You take 3-4 yards here and there, 10 yard good run here or there, hit the TE on the hot pass, you are working 100 plays from very similar formations based on what the OC and QB see the D doing. And, every so often, you hit them in a weak spot and get the big play.
When you throw a 1st and 10 bomb, and then go to a wildcat, you havent set up anything, nor fooled anyone. The wildcat distracts from your play action formula.
If we are going to be dedicated to this kind of offense, then we need to be dedicated. The exception is when you find something that is working well – like running all over Tech, and then you use the heck out of it. In fact, I would say the play action is a scheme of trying to find out what is going to work well, not a set number and style of plays.
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
Play action works when running works
Not when it don’t. Also, pretending to kinda wave the ball in the general direction of a running back who has already assumed a blocking position does not fool any linebackers and should not qualify as play action.
I have never loved UGA football as much as I did on the first drive against UF in 2007. We ran the ball every damn down until we scored, and then we danced on the field. And on our next possession, which Stafford hit MoMass for 86 yards, play action actually meant something.
by first and thom on Jun 29, 2011 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions
It helps to have David Greene too
Yes, you got to be able to run the ball to work play action. Without a threat of the run, then the run fake doesn’t freeze the LBs or CBs at all, and you are really hurting yourself because now you should just go run and gun. I like the play action pass and formula, however, I am not sure our team understands how important a good fake or hard run is to make it work. It concerns me as well, here I go again, that CMB is on the sidelines coaching during the game rather than figuring stuff out.
I bet you this right now – our first play of the game against BSU will be a right tackle handoff.
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
Essentially what I meant. I doubt Crowell gets the ball first.
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
too much build up
and he was kind of promised in a rangers style promise but i’m not promising kind of way.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
also, I think of a right tackle play as very different from a spring draw
one is a power play and you blow folks off the ball. The other is passive blocking, trying to act like a pass, and screams outsmarting yourself when Boise would see it coming. I think it’s also designed to be one hole closer to the center, inside the tackle instead of outside. Maybe that’s just my Billy Henderson style of I formation offense background in terming the plays and not how Bobo/Richt do business.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
concur:
trying to act like a pass, and screams outsmarting yourself when Boise would see it coming.
I guess what I am saying is 1st and 10 is going to be 2nd and 8-10 and then CMB will have to get in the green notebook and we know how that goes.
I am also hoping they don’t play this game of not showing all your cards too early in the season. I say go all out. Beating the hell out of BSU will build confidence and help us tremendously going into the next week.
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
Agreed on the last bit
you’ve got all August to works on twists and tweaks to make something happen. Plus it has the added advantage of forcing all subsequent opponents to prepare for random stuff you are unlikely to use the rest of the year.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
I fully support the idea of planning to call power running plays for the entire first drive.
Let’s challenge Jones and Gates to block Billy Winn across Centenial Park. If we can do that, we shouldn’t have to do anything else. If we can’t do it, I want to know about it early.
by first and thom on Jun 30, 2011 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I would say there is a reasonable chance that will happen -
with some AM scrambles mixed in. The real issue is when CMB gets in his own head.
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
Oh, God no!
Sprint draws in game one will leave me without a television for week two.
This, this, a thousand times this.
Coach Richt has done some bold things over the last 3 years in the wilderness, but he hasn’t been able to recruit or develop offensive linemen during that time. Our offensive malaise during the last three years can be largely attributed to failures on the line.
Here’s to hoping that Stacy Searels was the problem on the recruiting trail and that Coach Friend can get some big uglies on board.
Congrats, Tank.
Took nearly an hour for someone to post a football comment, rather than one highlighting their background in philosophy.
by NRBQ on Jun 29, 2011 9:38 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah, you never know which way a comment thread is going to go around here!
Consider yourself lucky we didn’t get into a debate about proper punctuation.
Go 'Dawgs!
I can be
a little slow on the uptake at times.
"If we score, we may win. If they never score, we'll never lose."
-Erk Russell
by DavetheDawg on Jun 30, 2011 7:18 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
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